Abstract
School refusal is more prevalent in children on the autism spectrum than among their peers. The function of school refusal can be explored using the school refusal assessment scale-revised (SRAS-R) but its relevance to children on the spectrum has not been investigated. Parents of 121 children (M age 11.9 years) on the autism spectrum completed the SRAS-R and provided feedback on it applicability. Confirmatory factor analysis suggests unsuitability of the original four-factor structure proposed for neurotypical students. Only 41.7% of parents considered the questionnaire an adequate method for reporting on school refusal in children on the autism spectrum with the majority (90%) identifying additional questions to evaluate factors associated with school refusal in autism.
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We are grateful to the children with autism and their families for giving their time to support this research study.
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This research received no specific grant from any external funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. There is no external funding associated with this research. The authors acknowledge the support of a small internal seeding grant from Griffith University School of Education and Professional Studies. This work has not been presented at any conference or meeting nor posted on any website, forum, or discussion board.
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DA conceived the study, participated in its design and coordination, coordinated the data cleaning, performed the statistical analysis and interpretation of the data and drafted the manuscript. RM participated in the study design and coordination, assisted with interpretation of the data and drafted the manuscript. HM assisted with interpretation of the data and drafted the manuscript. KS participated in the study design and coordination, assisted with the interpretation of the data and helped draft the manuscript. ND conducted the statistical analysis and interpretation of the CFA and help draft the revisions to the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Adams, D., McLucas, R., Mitchelson, H. et al. Form, Function and Feedback on the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised in Children on the Autism Spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord 52, 2156–2167 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05107-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05107-4